Press Officer

Contractual hours: 35 (1.0 FTE)

Job category/type: Professional and Managerial

Job description

Closing date: 23:59 Sunday 14th June 2026

Interviews will be held: Monday 29th June 2026

Due to the complexity of the Skilled Worker Visa route and eligibility criteria, applicants requiring sponsorship are recommended to check their eligibility on the Home Office website. We cannot provide advice to candidates at the application stage and will only discuss visa routes with candidates who are invited to interview. There is further information about this on the UK Visas and Immigration Website UK Visas and Immigration Website.

Working within a fast‑paced, collaborative press office, you will produce sharp, creative multimedia content, pitch and land news and feature stories across digital and broadcast media, support and brief senior spokespeople, and provide trusted advice on media engagement and risk.

Reporting to the External Communications & PR Manager, you will be part of a team of press officers, working on engagement with the media and external stakeholders.

You will work within the Communication and Engagement team, which provides University-wide delivery of communication and reputation management. This includes press and media relations, digital campaigns, research communication, community engagement, internal communication to students and staff, alumni engagement, and fundraising functions.

The University of Reading is a global Top 200 institution with a strong reputation in media for education, research and engagement. 

Main duties and responsibilities

Media relations and content development

• Identify, research and write news, feature stories and social media content including research, teaching, student experience and community activity, and work with colleagues to develop them for external audiences through written and digital content (such as video, graphics and imagery).
• Pitch stories effectively to relevant outlets and manage relationships with journalists and broadcast producers to generate coverage.
• Monitor and respond to breaking news and media enquiries, and contribute to reputation management and crisis communications activity.
• Support senior colleagues and spokespeople, including preparing for interviews with messaging and scripts.
• Respond to routine media enquiries, identifying and escalating complex, sensitive or high‑risk issues as appropriate.

Proactive PR and campaigns

• Contribute to proactive communications campaigns through media pitching activity, targeting relevant regional, national and trade outlets.
• Lead the delivery of press activity for campaigns, announcements and events, including coordinating timings, approvals and supporting materials.
• Monitor news agendas and media trends to help identify opportunities and risks for the University.

Issues, risk and reputation support

• Assist with reactive press handling and issues management, including out-of-hours rota duties where required.
• Ensure that all press and PR activity reflects legal, regulatory and ethical requirements, including data protection, copyright and equality considerations.

Relationship management and internal liaison

• Build effective working relationships with colleagues across the University, including academics, professional services teams and students, to support press activity.
• Liaise with external stakeholders such as journalists, press offices at partner organisations, and sector bodies, under guidance from senior colleagues.
• Provide clear advice to internal stakeholders on media processes, timings and expectations.

Team and departmental contribution

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across Communications & Engagement to ensure alignment between press activity and wider communications.
• Contribute ideas and insight to team planning discussions and continuous improvement of press processes.

Contact details

Pete Castle, External communications & PR manager, p.castle@reading.ac.uk

Vicky Pearson, Director of Communication and Engagement, v.a.pearson@reeading.ac.uk

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